TMR 225 : Joel Furches : Researching Deconversion

Details

Published: 23 August 2019

We are joined by the behavioural psychologist and Christian thinker Joel Furches for a conversation on his ongoing research into the contemporary phenomenon of deconversion from Christianity to Atheism.

Drawing upon his background in psychology, sociology and education, Joel shares with us patterns he is finding in case-study data that may help to explain why some people abandon Christianity and turn to Atheism. Observing various commonalities in such people's backgrounds—such as "wooden" notions of biblical inerrancy, legalism and isolationism—Joel argues that cultural factors like these may well play significant parts in fuelling "deconstruction" of belief and lead to equally dogmatic unbelief.

We also talk about Christian apologetics more generally, including the term itself, and consider which approaches—evidentialist or presuppositionalist—best suit different situations.